As a schoolboy, Anton Chekhov stole into the local theater at night, dressed as his father, and marveled at the plays of Shakespeare and Moliere. Mesmerized by the characters on the stage, he went on to write his own tragicomedies: The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard. Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Chekhov and the plays he wrote. Read Chekhov in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play! The book features: ¿Chekhov in an Hour, the main essay of the book ¿Chekhov In a Minute, a snapshot chronology ¿A complete listing of Chekhov¿s work ¿A list of Chekhov¿s contemporaries in all fields ¿Excerpts from Chekhov¿s significant works ¿An extensive bibliography grouped according to type of reader ¿An index of the main essay. Playwrights in an Hour is a series devoted to the most produced and studied playwrights in the English language, from the Greek masters to contemporary writers, and written by leading authorities in the field. Each short book places the playwright and his or her work in historical, social, and literary context. Dr. Carol Rocamora is a professor, playwright, translator, and critic. Her three volumes of Chekhov¿s complete translated dramatic works have been published by Smith and Kraus. She teaches at New York University¿s Tisch School of the Arts, where she has been the recipient of the David Payne Carter Award for Teaching in Excellence. She also teaches at Columbia University in the MFA Theatre Arts Program and guest-lectures at the Juilliard School and the Yale School of Drama. She was the founder and artistic director of the Philadelphia Festival Plays at Annenberg Center. She has written about theater for The Nation and the New York Times and currently contributes to The Guardian and American Theatre. She has completed Rubles, a collection of original plays inspired by Chekhov¿ss short stories, and is currently working on a biography of Chekhov.